Blog Posts by Vitamin G, Glamour Magazine

by Shaun Dreisbach, Glamour

We're all a teensy bit guilty of having unrealistic expectations at the gym: a few squats and presto--one size smaller! Nothing works that fast, but with the right strategy you can see results in just two weeks, says Pete McCall, trainer and exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise. What makes that possible: focusing on muscles that respond fastest to strength training--those in your arms, shoulders, calves and lower abs.

These moves will help you score, tighter arms, calves and lower abs in two weeks; see sexy definition in your butt, hips and thighs in four (and, if you have weight to lose and are eating right, drop a dress size); and after six weeks, you'll be slimmer and more toned all over. Do two sets three or four days a week circuit-style.

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by Lexi Petronis, Glamour

After the holidays, I feel so... sloggy. I mean, my body feels slow and slothlike, and my brain feels like it's wrapped in a sweater. And yeah, I admit it would be nice to have my pants go back to being not quite so snug. I could use a detox. How about you?

But a detox doesn't have to come in the form of, say, drinking nothing but juice. You can also try some of these natural methods to de-bloat and re-energize (be sure to check out these 15 weight-loss detox tips, too!).

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Breathe. Experts say that a series of deep, controlled breaths help you bring in the proper oxygen you need in order to absorb vitamins and minerals more efficiently, while also giving your lymphatic system an energizing boost to rid itself of toxins.
To do it, try Andrew Weil's method: place the tip of your tongue just behind your front top teeth, and exhale. Then close your mouth and inhale through your nose for a count of 4. Hold your breath for a

by Sarah Jio, Glamour

When it comes to slimming down, attitude, apparently, plays a big role! Special K (yes, the cereal brand), recently surveyed weight-conscious women across the country and they say that overall, women who are more positive about weight loss are more likely to lose and keep the weight off than those who tend to approach things from a more negative place.

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Fascinatingly, the study found that:
* Women who think positively about weight management were more likely to achieve their specific weight loss goals.
* Not only did women who think positively about their weight management report that they were more successful in losing or maintaining their weight, they were actually eight times less likely to report having gained weight than women who think negatively.
* Women who think positively about weight management report that they are 25% more likely to succeed in maintaining their weight
* 9 out of 10 women who think positively

by Sarah Jio, Glamour

Think of the most calming activities: Maybe, you love taking a hot bath, lounging on the couch and watching a movie, or maybe getting a massage at your favorite spa. Sounds nice, right? Well, for some people with an unusual form of anxiety, relaxation could actually cause their worries.

The phenomenon is called "relaxation-induced anxiety" and it affects more people than you may think, according to a new report from the University of Cincinnati.

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"Someone with a fear of relaxation is able to initially relax," says Christina Luberto, a doctoral student in psychology at the University of Cincinnati, who has developed a questionnaire, known as the Relaxation Sensitivity Index, to examine this fear. "But once they start to feel relaxed, they begin to feel anxious as a result."

People who have this type of anxiety, tend to experience heart rate increases, rapid breathing and muscle tension when they try to relax. Luberto and her

by Sarah Jio, Glamour

Sometimes I dread to report on the health risks of smoking, because obviously you know the risks by now. But, just in case you (or a girlfriend you love) is still, occasionally smoking socially (even a cigarette here and there), this news is for you (and her).

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According to a new study published in Circulation: Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology, an American Heart Association Journal that looked at results of more than 100,000 women as far back as 1976, those who were light to moderate smokers had a significantly increased risk of dying from sudden cardiac arrest than those who didn't smoke.

"Cigarette smoking is a known risk factor for sudden cardiac death, but until now, we didn't know how the quantity and duration of smoking effected the risk among apparently healthy women," said study author Dr. Roopinder K. Sandhu, a cardiac electrophysiologist at the University of Alberta's Mazankowski Heart Institute in Edmonton, Alberta,

by Sarah Jio, Glamour

A superfruit for weight loss? Experts indicate that it could be apples! And, since we all know that most people gain more weight during end of the year holidays than any other time of the year, this is news we all can use--right this second!

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Here's the details: In a study of mice, researchers at University of Iowa report that apples--which are rich in a compound called ursolic acid (found in apple skins)--may increase your body's ability to burn calories and build muscle.

So maybe for every Christmas cookie you eat, munch on an apple slice too!

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Are you a regular apple eater?

P.S. 16 percent of your calories may come from this surprising source! Experts call it "food porn" and say it may make you pack on pounds...

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28

by Lexi Petronis, Glamour

You know what's really great? Finding out that something doesn't increase your cancer risk. And, today, we just so happen to have one of those somethings.

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A study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology has found that the UV lamps used to dry gel manicures don't cause skin cancer--something dermatologists have been concerned with for years.

In fact, the researchers for the study say that it would take 13,000 to 40,000 drying sessions under the lamp to raise your risk of getting skin cancer. That works out to one gel manicure per week for the next 250 years.

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The researchers say that gel manicure lights use narrowband UVB rays, which are the same kind used to treat skin conditions such as psoriasis.

Yay! How nice is it to hear that this doesn't cause cancer?

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by Lexi Petronis, Glamour

We know that sugary beverages pack a lot of calories into their sweet little containers (they've taken a lot of heat in the obesity debate). But now the results of a new study are showing that they may also trick our brains into thinking that we're hungry!

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Actually, it's the fructose in sugar-sweetened drinks that researchers say affect the brain region that regulates appetite. The researchers--who point out that the study does not show that fructose causes obesity--say that participants who drank a cherry-flavored drink with fructose in it experienced a spike in their hypothalamus. The participants who drank the same beverage made with glucose didn't have the spike.

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The conclusion: high-fructose corn syrup and other forms of fructose might actually help lead us to overeat more than glucose does. (Plain table sugar contains both glucose and fructose.) Which means, say the experts,